Moratorium on Land Use and Septic Tanks

New homes are being constructed in Gadsden County on a daily basis, but infrastructure like sewers is not in place to accommodate the growth.

County officials are seeing an increase in the number of contractors trying to change the land use to build more homes on septic tanks, but that will soon change.

Bill McCord, the growth management director in Gadsden County, says, "What we're looking at is limiting it to large land use amendments so it would affect a small scale of housing and what it would do is to get our heads above water and get a handle on rapid growth in this county."

Gadsden County is growing at a rapid pace. This year alone the county received 28 comp plan amendments, turning some 5,000 acres into small subdivisions. County officials want to find a way to avoid septic problems in the near future.

McCord adds, "They want to make sure these land use changes don't open the door on proliferation of septic tanks and wells on individual lots with perhaps half an acre, which could be a concern particularly in areas that has poor soil."

County officials are now proposing a moratorium on land use changes until they can get a handle on the situation. Commissioners are proposing a six month moratorium, but before that can go into effect a public hearing will be set for either mid-December or early January.

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